Chapter 6: Hogsmeade

Morning came with a bustling Hermione; she was trying to get ready for her afternoon in hogsmeade with Snape. She told the Harry and Ron the previous evening that she was going to the village with someone else so they shouldn't wait up for her.

*Flashback*

"Hey guys I'm going to Hogsmeade with someone else tomorrow, so please don't wait up for me in the morning I'll see you guys at dinner okay?" Hermione said to the boys as they say by the fire doing their homework.

"Who are you going with?" Ron asked looking up from his charms essay at the brains of their trio.

"Oh nobody important," she replied not meeting her friend's eyes.

Harry looked up now and they collectively looked at her with suspicion in their eyes. Hermione caught the look in their eyes. Honestly they think every little thing is a conspiracy. Hermione thought to herself. "Guys seriously it's nothing, don't worry about it it's not as though I'm going out with Malfoy."

Harry and Ron still didn't look as though they believed her. She growled softly to herself before turning back to them taking her eyes off of her essay. "Ronald, Harry, honestly it's really none of your business, what I do and who I'm with have nothing to do with you unless I'm actually with you. All you need to know is that I'm not going with you, I'm going with another person, that is not you." Hermione railed at them, "My personal life really does not concern you. And if you guys even think about spying on my in hogsmeade I swear to Merlin that it will be the last thing either of you do for a damned good long time. I won't tolerate you and your suspicious natures any longer. The war is over, stop being conspiracy freaks already and get over it. Goodness sometimes I wish that you two had never come back here with me."

"You always complain and make a big fucking deal out of everything, it has nothing to do with you, for the last time, it is my damned life and I will do what I want with it. If you can't live with that then you can just leave me alone, for good!" she huffed grabbed her things and stormed up to her room.

*End Flashback*

Now she was fussing over everything from her hair to her clothes, she had no clue what the "dungeon bat" as he was called by most liked. In the end she opted for a pair of her favorite jeans and a black t-shirt with the words "2 Smart 4 You" in green on the front. She rushed down to the Great Hall for a bit of toast before heading out to the carriages that were to take them to Hogsmeade in an hour. She'd be there at 11:30 which gave her a half hour to roam around and gather her wits about her before meeting her Professor for lunch at noon.

Hermione spent a while in the library before going out to Hogsmeade. When she got there she opted to go to the far side of the village to calm down and make sure that the boys weren't following her under the damned cloak. She closely surveyed the area around her making sure that nothing appeared in the snow covered paths around her that shouldn't.

At a quarter to 12 Hermione slowly made her way to the Three Broomsticks, she got there early enough to survey the room to make sure that Harry and Ron weren't there before going to a booth in the back of the tavern to wait for Severus.

As would be expected Severus Snape appeared in the three Broomsticks at exactly 12:00 noon. He spotted Hermione in the back of the room in a little corner booth gazing out of the window waiting for him. "Hello Hermione, I hope you haven't been waiting long." He said sitting across from her waking her from her people watching.

Hermione looked up at her professor and took in his appearance. He was wearing a pair of black slacks and a black button up what looked to be silk long sleeved shirt. He still looked graceful as ever even without his robes. "Oh no, I haven't been waiting long Severus I got here just a couple of minutes ago actually. Ah here comes Madam Rosemerta." She said looking up from their table to the friendly Matron approaching their table.

"Oh, hello Professor, Hermione, what can I get for you two today?" the beautiful Matron asked the couple sitting at the table.

Severus looked towards Hermione, "Oh, I'll just have a butterbeer thank you I'm not too hungry."

The Professor looked up at Rosemerta and gave his order, "I'll take a butterbeer and a small salad, thank you."

The matron nodded and went back behind the counter to get their orders.

Hermione looked back up at her professor calculatingly, "So, Severus why'd you agree to meet me today?"

Severus turned his sever and piercing eyes on his student. "What we discussed yesterday, I meant it when I told you that I had feelings for you, I like you and I want to get to know you better. This is technically what I would count as our first date." Hermione nodded at this understanding.

"I was thinking of it as such too at first. Though for now it's just between the two of us, the boys would kill me if they knew. I really don't care what they think they could walk in now and spot us, and honestly it wouldn't phase me. I really like you, and I'm not going to let their stupid immaturity get in the way of that." Hermione sighed and turned to take her butterbeer as it arrived.

"You really think they'd take it that badly?" Severus asked her as he took a sip of his butterbeer.

"I must admit I do because of the way that they complain about you. They still maintain that you're a 'slimy git', I've honestly never agreed with this just put up with it until recently. You've always been my favorite teacher, but they refuse to accept you." Hermione said looking at him over her glass. She reached over to touch the hand that he had resting on the table and flipped it to stroke his palm absent mindedly. "They can take it however they please though, because nothing they say is going to distract or dissuade me from how I feel about you Severus." She looked in his eyes again, she didn't hide anything now. Severus could see the sincerity of the words she was saying there and sighed, this was going to be complicated no matter what they did.

The couple spent a few hours there talking about themselves and learning more about each other. Severus and Hermione at around 5 decided to walk about the village for a while as most of the students had already gone back to the castle to get ready for dinner.

They walked as far as the shrieking shack where they stopped for a while simply to gaze at the abandoned building. "You know Severus I've never really felt as comfortable in anyone's company as I am with you." Hermione voiced to the professor next to her.

Severus smiled and placed an arm lightly around her waist pulling her closer to his side. "I know the feeling Hermione, I really do, at least now I do," he sighed and leaned against the wooden railing separating them from the decrepit house.

"And exactly since when has he been 'Severus' Hermione? On a first name basis with him now are you?" a shout came from behind them. Hermione and Snape whipped around only to come face to face with Ron and Harry; it was Harry who'd yelled at them. Hermione cringed as the two stormed towards them through the snow. "Answer me Hermione, since when has that bat been Severus?" he yelled at her again now just a couple feet from her.

"It's none of your damned business Mr. Potter and you would do well to leave it and Miss Granger alone." Severus replied sneering at the two very red-faced boys before them.

Harry pulled out his wand as Ron followed suit. This will not end well at all. Was all Hermione could think as she surveyed the scene before her.

A/N: I only got 8 reviews but I'm smart enough to know that I can't hope for any more than that so here is the update I hope you enjoy! Thank you all for reading! Love, Sarah.